I would be remiss if I started this post in any other way than to say THANK YOU to the members of Blue Valley Baptist Church, whose generosity makes possible so many of the blessings my family and I enjoy.  Melinda and I genuinely appreciate the many ways you demonstrate care and love for our family.  This includes things like your friendship… your involvement in and support of our ministry… constant words of encouragement and affirmation… and even things like annual vacation time!  Nonetheless, as important as this expression of gratitude is to me, it’s not the primary reason for this blog post.  Read on…

    Life is full of adventures… I just completed one, so I should know! 

    In 27 years of working in the local church, I’ve never taken an EXTENDED vacation like the one I just finished, but I’m so grateful for the opportunity to have spent 21 days with my family resting and enjoying time together. 

    One of the things I learned about adventures while I was away is this:  Sometimes a great adventure is not simply about a large-scale accomplishment.  A truly great adventure can be nothing more than a collection of wonderful moments.  Such was the case these last several weeks.  There was nothing about our time away that was monumental… no expensive trips to exotic places… no large-scale purchases (unless you count repainting your deck!).  Nonetheless, there are moments from the past three weeks I hope NEVER to forget. 

· Trying a different flavor of homemade ice cream every day for a week… (this one I will remember as I work to re-lose the 6.5 pounds I’ve gained!)

· Going to the theatre 5 times in 8 days…

· Playing games and going to see a movie with friends whose company we don’t enjoy nearly often enough…

· Watching our parents who were visiting from Texas walk mesmerized through a newly discovered Kansas City museum...

· Uncovering God’s hand in life lessons we learned unexpectedly…

· Sitting with one of my daughters in the early morning and hearing her first-uttered thought: “It’s gonna be a great day!”

· Visiting new churches, family discussions, naps, puzzles, games…  and the list goes on.

    Though my vacation has now given way to calendars, meetings, programs and plans, after being back in the office for two days I find myself revived and excited about all the things that lie ahead.  One might think that going back to work after such a great time away would be difficult, but I assure you, that’s not the case when you have the best job in the world!  Despite the irony that there wasn’t one single thing that made this vacation special, I will hold this collection of moments in my memory as one of the best vacations ever.  That in itself is energizing.

    If you’ve read my posts for any length of time, you have likely heard me say, “Perspective is everything.”  I hope that my recent vacation could serve you, my reader, as a reminder to embrace the moments in life as part of a larger package.  Adventure doesn’t have to be relegated to an annual event.  I’m mindful today that there are “moments” all around me.  My goal is not to miss seeing them.  I would encourage you to do the same.

Blessings,

jph